The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-13
HR. JAY GOULD on RICHES
AND THE MISERIES THEY ARE
SURE TO ENTAIL.
He Grows Sad Over His Condition
and MOraiizes Upon His Glee.
full Boz hood.

w q pOAo III VIC w
and tried to make a newspaper re
porter contented. If Mr.. GoulC
didn't succeed that was merely be
eanse the reporter happened to b
narrow minded, not that Mr.. Gould
philosophy was weak kneed.
After all, quoth Mr.. Gould
after all, what does any man get il
this world except something to cal
and something to wear and some.
where to liver"
His conundrum unanswered by his
listener, DIR. Gould answered it him.
self
THE poor man ought to be the
happiest man, went on the million
aire. Wealth brings cares without
compensation. A man gets rich and
then he's slave. Very mistake n
ideas exist on this subject"
With so much promised Mr.. Gould
proceeded to tell In a genial way of
the joys that ouce he himself knew
and now was too rich to know any
more.
"Ab," he said, 81 often recur to
the days when | was boy up in
Delaware county. | was a pretty
happy lad. There wasn't much wear
and tear in life then. How good it
would feel just to go out and drive
the cattle home from pasture once,
more And how delicious it would be
to stoop down by the old cow again
to do the mornings milking and Just
squirt stream of her fresh, hot
milk in between my lips as l used to
do! That was nectar. That's what
gave an appetite for breakfast
Mr.. Gould's eyes glistened. Boy
hood memories were evidently much
to his taste.
"a boy on farm ought to be one
OF the happiest beings alive" he
added. He may leave to go out in
the buster world, and he may make
more money elsewhere and in other
ways, but he'll never be a jot happier
anywhere or anyhow-not a lot: it
isn't in human possibility to be hap
pier. Of course, though, nobody is
ever contented. [ remember how it
was with myself. One of my boy
friends was Sam Dimmick, who lives
up at Kingston on the Hudson. His
father, Col. Dimmick, was one of the
well to do men up in Delaware coun-
ty in those times, and | remember
that | used to wish and wish and
wish that something would happen
that would enable me to get as rich
as he was. He seemed like Cresus
to me. And [ left the farm"
The reporter thought of one or two
people he'd heard about who would
have been just as happy if Mr..
Gould hadn't left that farm, aud
others who were willing to see him
go back; but this impudent idea was
unuttered, and the reminiscent mil
lionaire, continuing, told about one
experience that used to attach to his
hobble- de hoy times that was not al
together happy.
Going to church," he explained,
contributed this one bit of sadness.
We used to start from home early
every Sunday morning." he said,
land ride over to the little yellow
meeting house where the country
round worshiped. AT 10 o clock the
proceedings began. They were real
proceedings, too; | can see the tall
old Elder yet as he doomed up in the
pulpit and went at his sermon.
Eleven o'clock came, aud the Elder
was just getting under. way; 12I
o clock arrived, and he was only be-
coming warmed up. At 1870 o'clock |
we adjourned. All over? Oh, no.
We were ouly ON half hours fur
Tough. The rmon stopped in the |
to let Us eat the lunches that
We had to bring along. After the
lunch the dominic plunged ahead |
unchecked till we'll on toward even
ing. How hard those board benches
in the yellow meeting house used to
get! How very tired even some of |
the most piOu5 ones used to grow
Often aud often, [ remember, the
Elder would come to a sudden halt,
look down despairin9ly on his devot-
ed flock and calculate: Wake up!
wake up! Why, every soul of you is
ssleepP That would help for little
while perhaps, but l tell you it was
pretty trying sometimes on even the
best of folks.
About the only time, | think,
when | was real genuinely interested
1t church in those times and under
hose circumstances was one Sunday
when we were all safely tucked in
Tor the eternal sermon there came
smash and crash against one side
IT the church, and the boards there
gave way aud splinters went flying.
We were listening to something
about the wrath to come, and most
IF US for time rather suspected
hat it had really arrived. The
,rouble was that our horses, left
loosely hiIched outside, had become
weary ADD :were entering a protest
against the Elders long windedness
~ punching their wagon pole
straight through the side of the
meeting house. [ really felt under ,
sort OF personal obligation to the
I'D horses, and l guess l wasn't
Ilone IN the feeling either. I'd give
! good deal, [ assure you, to go
through that lively day again"
Milk and churches! Both seemed
exits for jubilation. MIR. Gould
aughed and was gleeful. He looked
Is if he spoke truth in every syllable
Is he remarked:
"Those old days and their expert
noes were better than cash-a good
leal better"
Then once more this magnate, the
,wner of a score of railroads, an as
iortment of Legislatures, a judge or
,wo, aud Injuries of that sort, once
more be produced his conundrum:
After all what does any man, how
,ver rich he may be, get in this world
except his board and his clothes and
/ place to live?"
Mr.. Gould cited some of the dis
resses of his own fate. I'm abso-
utely oul of business" he declared
and ha l.o.1 -, ,po.g,. !